Am I immune or am I spreading it?

[madmarchmare]

So in February I was v ill for about 3 weeks. I had high temp, cough which kept me up all night, sore chest, fatigue and worst of all the most awful sore throat. I’ve never had a sore throat since I had my tonsils removed aged 8 because of recurrent tonsillitis. Anyway, I saw a nurse practitioner and she prescribed me antibiotics for a bacterial throat infection.....I ended up having two courses of the antibiotics.....a few weeks later, just before lockdown, I saw gp as I still didn’t feel right, was completely exhausted and going to bed at 7.30 at the same time as dcs, and my throat felt odd still like it was hard to swallow or there was a lump in it. GP said it sounded like it wasn’t a bacterial infection at all but a “really nasty virus” with a knowing look. I know people are skeptical about people claiming To have had it last winter and I'm not sure if I did or not. It was different to any other illness I have had before.

Anyway, I’m a teacher in a large secondary school in a tier 2 area (possibly soon tier 3). We have had probably around 20 positive cases in students this half term, some in classes I teach, which resulted in some year groups being down to about 1/3rd at some points, and about 10 staff cases. We wear masks in corridors and we are supposed to stay staying 2m apart from students and other staff but obviously in practice that isn’t always possible as you can imagine.

Each office in school has a sign on the door with the maximum occupancy allowed with 2m rule. The maximum in mine is 2, and theoretically that is possible if I push my chair against the wall and lean back and the other person does the same in the opposite corner. Anyway, I have been in appraisal meetings in there with 4 people over the last fortnight who have gone on to test positive. I have had the window open but the door shut as obviously the meetings are confidential.

What is going on here? How have I not got it so far? It is now 9 days since the last of these meetings, and 8 days since I was in school, so although I am not quite out of the woods yet but seems less likely as the days go on. Do I assume I had it in Feb or that I’ve just been lucky so far? Could I be an asymptomatic super spreader? Is it worth paying for an antibody test?

[madmarchmare]

Anyone?

[Mindymomo]

I think a lot of people think they had it earlier in the year. As far as I am aware only hospital antibody tests are completely accurate, so it’s up to you if you feel happier in knowing. If you had had the virus in Feb, the antibodies will have decreased now, so no guarantee you won’t still get it.

I understand your concerns about distancing, but you are doing all you can for your own individual circumstances.

My son is at 11 days since 5 of his work colleagues out of 40 tested positive, he has had a private test which was negative last weekend. Of these 5 cases, 4 never had symptoms before or since.

[AriettyHomily]

Noone can answer that.

You may not have had it, you may have had it.

You can get it twice.

You may just have not had it yet.

You might not have antibodies any more.

I have had it, confirmed swab. No one in my immediate family caught it.